Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that the team's 1-1 draw against Liverpool was "one of the most special days" of his life.

An engrossing Champions League encounter between the two sides at the Etihad ended 1-1 on Sunday.

Liverpool looked almost set to go beyond City into the table and grab the third spot after James Milner put the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half.

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser to prevent City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish.

"You cannot imagine," Guardian quoted Guardiola as saying.

"This is one of the most special days of my life. After our defeat in the Champions League, for two days we were so, so sad and in the training sessions we didn't talk too much. We arrived here against Liverpool, who haven't had European football and had all week to prepare, and how we fight and how we run and how we showed spirit," he added.

Guardiola, who has won two Champions Leagues, six domestic titles and four cups in his career, further said, "Today is one of the happiest days of my life as a manager. I am so proud of my players. We were sad [in midweek] so that is why I am so happy. My players put everything on to the pitch. It is one of the days I am most proud."

The 46-year-old, however, expressed his unhappiness with the match officials.

"My advice to them is that they have to speak to each other and they have to sit down on the table and review and talk urgently to make this sport better," he said.

"What happened that season is something I have never seen in my life. They have to sit and analyse why this amount of things happen, not [just] in Manchester City games but in all the games," he added.

The City manager had come in for criticism after his side's 1-3 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league.

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